The impact of the zero-waste city pilot policy on the synergistic reduction of CO2 and air pollutant emissions
Evidence from China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22086291 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bingnan Guo (0000-0002-5627-2764, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology), Yuren Qian (Jiangsu University of Science and Technology), Feng Hu (0000-0003-3476-9742, Centre for International Governance Innovation, corresponding author), Hao Hu (0000-0003-1365-0267, Shanghai University, corresponding author), Ji Lin (0009-0001-0139-4035, Wenzhou University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Pages | 1853126-1853126 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1853126 |
| PMID | 42404954 |
| OpenAlex | W7165119153 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Against the backdrop of China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality agenda and intensified pollution control efforts, advancing the synergistic control of CO2 and air pollutant emissions has become an important pathway toward green transformation and the reduction of environmental health risks. Using panel data for 286 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2022, this study treats the zero-waste city pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment and applies a double machine learning framework to identify its impact on urban synergistic outcomes in CO2 and air pollutant emission control. The results show that: (1) the zero-waste city pilot significantly improves the synergistic control of CO2 and air pollutant emissions, and this finding remains robust across multiple checks; (2) the policy effect operates mainly through source reduction, resource recycling, and high-standard harmless treatment; and (3) the effects are more pronounced in central and western regions, in small- and medium-sized cities, and in non-resource-based cities. Overall, this study provides new evidence that integrated environmental governance can simultaneously promote environmental sustainability and public health improvement
Air pollutants · Air pollution · Beijing · China · Corporate governance · Pollutant · Sustainability · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Municipal Solid Waste Management · Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Food Security
Double/debiased machine learning for treatment and structural parameters
Conceptualizing the circular economy
The impact of Climate Adaptive Pilot Cities policy on urban pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |